The impact of undergraduate internships on graduate underemployment: A quantitative analysis of data from a small liberal arts college

Minimal empirical research exists linking undergraduate internships to lower rates of graduate underemployment. Institutions of higher education have been tasked with solving the problem of graduate underemployment through the use of these types of experiential learning methods intended to create more career ready graduates. Such research is particularly urgent as graduate underemployment rates remain high all over the globe and the cost of a college education continues to increase. This study addressed this need by using quantitative methods to investigate if undergraduate internships lead to greater graduate employability and therefore lower graduate underemployment rates. Using social learning theory, adult learning theory, and human capital theories as the theoretical framework, this study sought a correlation between undergraduate internships and graduate underemployment. This quantitative study was conducted by analyzing secondary data that was gathered from a small four-year liberal arts bachelor’s degree granting institution based in central United States spanning five years’ worth of data collected from annual First Destination Surveys. This study employed a correlational quantitative design approach. 922 graduates were surveyed and 596 responded to the survey. Descriptive statistics included a breakdown of how many of the survey participants completed an internship during their undergraduate education as well as how many participants reported being employed within six months of graduation and how many of those who were employed were in positions that required a bachelor’s degree. Statistics testing was conducted to see if a correlation could be made between undergraduate internships and graduate underemployment and analysis of covariance was conducted to identify the effects of academic discipline on graduate underemployment outcomes. No correlation could be found. Several implications of these findings, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Krisher, Kristy L

Contributors dc:contributor

• Li, Jie
• Huang, Wen Hao David
• Oh, Eunjung
• Mason, Terrence

• Graduate Underemployment
• Employability
• Internships
• Work Related Skill Development
• Experiential Learning
• Adult Learning Theory
• And Human Capital Theory

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Kristy L. Krisher

Language dc:language

eng, en

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127355

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F127355